THE SPEECH DELIVERED BY THE ISERH’S EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ON SAT., 2ND JAN., 2016 AT THE ABC PRIZE GIVING AND EXCELLENT TEACHER’S AWARD CEREMONY

Mr. Abdulraheem Abayomi Abdulahi, The Founder and Executive Director of ISERH
The Real Genius to make the world a better place doesn’t come from the government; it comes from the individual genius of its people. Barack Obama said ‘change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the CHANGE that we SEEK’. Mr. Ibrahim Asante said: ‘For us to experience PROGRESS, we have to become better than our PREDECESSORS and our PROTÉGÉ better than us’.

You are most welcome to this event today Saturday 2nd of January, 2016; at the third edition of its kind where we honour the outstanding students who enjoy our sponsorship of the examination of their choice; and the distribution of Consolation Prizes to those who have as well distinguished themselves from the rest of their peers - by scoring 50% and above in the Aspiring the Best Competition; while we are specially honouring our dedicated and ever excellent teachers who have distinguished themselves from other teachers in mentoring winners for this competition - at the time the world is worried about teachers’ dedication to giving their best to their pupils.

This initiative came into existence in the year 2014 through the brain works and the future analysis of our nation done by two (2) young men (Senge Daud and Abdulraheem Abayomi). Abayomi suddenly found himself abandoned and alone in the actualization of the dream when the going got tough, and when the ‘Angels of Doom’ started persecuting him. Little did I know that I would lose my job as a result of carrying out this rescue mission to my nation’s youths, immediately after the second edition’s Prize Giving that was held here on Saturday Jan. 3rd, 2015.

I have every course to thank my Lord and everyone who sees sense in our vision and subscribes to it. Today, through your persistent and tireless supports, in less than two (2) years of our operation and despite limited resources at our control: we have successfully sponsored the SSCE Examinations (WAEC, NECO, GCE and/or UTME) of 54 youths/students across the state, while we are having about 23 of them in Higher Institutions of Learning; 350 students have received various Motivational Books and/or Writing Materials from us as Consolation Prizes; over 5,000 youths and women have benefitted from our Motivational Programs in Youth Gatherings and on Social Media; and today, 12 Teachers are going to be decorated and honoured with EXCELLENT TEACHER’S AWARD.

This project (ABC) is designed to ignite students’ passion for education, reward brilliant students, reduce the number of out-of-school youths, curb students’ phobia for Examinations; reduce the failure rate among the High-school Students in Local and National Examinations, improve the teachers’ dedication to work and giving their best to their students, create passion of learning handiwork and apprentice for the youths through counseling during ISERH Ambassadors’ monthly meeting, foster unity among youths; and groom a new set of future generation’s philanthropists who shall initiate various community’s advancement projects and care for the future of their nation.

The High spate of Gambling Centers in our community, coupled with the overwhelming presence of Examination Malpractices Centers that have been branded ‘Educational Consults’, and High Prevalence of Teenage Pregnancy and Drug abuse among our future leaders should be a source of worry and even instill future insecurity phobia in the mind of every focused and patriotic Nigerian. We need your supports and collaborations in flushing these devilish acts and avoidable mistakes and actions out of our community. Hence, ISERH has established Youth Affairs Section in our office that provides free counseling and follow up to the youths that fall into the above classes.

ISERH Founder and Executive Director, Mr. Abdulraheem Abayomi Abdulahi

In the year 2015, we were registered, licensed and certified by the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) as a Nongovernmental Organization, with the name INITIATIVE FOR SOUND EDUCATION, RELATIONSHIP & HEALTH (ISERH), while the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) registered and certified us under their SCUML Department as an NGO that is credible enough to transact with, locally and internationally. This organization broke a record to be the first NGO in Osun State to win the Scholarship of the Africa-America Institute that is based in New York, where ISERH ED was trained in Social Sector Management Course at the Pan-Atlantic University (Enterprise Development Center), and was also the only NGO picked in the whole South-West (Lagos Excluded) for the SSM 5 2015 Course. This project ‘Aspiring the Best Competition’ (ABC) has won this organization the Most Replicable Project Award (2015) given to us by the Life Changers Foundation (UK) on Friday 4th of Dec., 2015.

Permit me to appreciate the supports of the following people that have made all these achievements a reality: Alh. (Hon.) Sodiq Anwo Sanusi, Ileri Oluwa Bread, Transtudios, Fluxtech Limited, Ejire Bookshop, Adebambutayo Wine Stores, First Class High School, Al-Ikhlas Islamic School, Amokeoja Blocks, Joan Agah Foundation, Alh. Waliu Spare Parts, Dele Ola Arts,Ejire Printing Press, Razgos Electronics, Sarob Nig. Enterprises, De-Shalom, Onileola Production etc, and the individuals too numerous to mention for all your supports.

Alh. (Hon.) Sodiq Anwo Sanusi is my father who never allows this initiative to die when the wind of vision’s destruction blew at us. He got us the office space we occupy. He got us Laptop and printer. He was responsible for the payment of the Counterpart Fund we were asked to pay when we won the Africa-America Institute’s Scholarship. Join me say ‘Thank You’ to the God Sent. May baba never lack in his life and may his progenies never ever lack. Thank you my daddy. May your days be long and be joyous seeing us shaping the world with this vision. He did the above despite the fact that he is neither from Osun State nor resides here.

We appreciate Alhaja Oladipupo for this beautiful decoration, Ilesa Grammar School for this spacious Hall, my friend Ogunleye Boluwatife Johnson for the Photo Stand outside, our fathers and mothers for the moral supports, ISERH Ambassadors and ABC Scholars for your dedication, Gold 95.5 FM, our Friends and Family.

I sincerely appreciate my wife who stood and still stands by me when situations were highly unfavourable and things seemed to have turned upside down. My beautiful daughter Abidallah Omolabake who always disturbs daddy.

My priceless mother who never forced me to go and pick the jobs that would have made me living large, riding exotic cars and built a mansion for her. She shares in my vision and always happy seeing me happy pursuing my vision. She told me one time, ‘ My son, you may not be as rich as I want you to be, but I am very happy seeing you touching lives and changing our nation for good’.

Permit me to call Master Oginni Oluwatosin whose mother really surprised me a lot with a rare gift of oranges, despite the fact that her child never won the competition.

We dearly appreciate everyone that made it here today and those that worked with us in setting the above records and we expect more supports from you this year. We enjoin everyone present here today to join us in sowing the seeds of better tomorrow for our nation and children by giving us the needed supports: morally, materially and financially. I wish us the best of 2016. Thanks.